I bought and devoured the first 3 books in the series when they were initially released. Then I stopped since they only came in hardback. Now, picking up the fourth, I look at this Space Opera like tale and see far too many holes as the space travel makes little of Light Years, Parsecs, the ability to navigate. The heroes seem to be able to get around in hours, while the enemy, the Republic with 3 Million ships, and of course 3 million officers who can navigate, can't get around anywhere near as quickly. They need a week to figure out vectors and courses where our heroes can decide in a minute how to get someplace.

Then what really sinks this story is the banter. The main protagonist banters all the time, with all the other characters. So much that half the book is meaningless words that do not advance story, theme or plot. Resnick has a lot of awards. Not for this series though, and one can see why in the writing. If Book 5, the final book, is available for a penny, I may get it. Based on book 4, it is not a read that it is at all engaging. ( )

The novel continues to follow the career of the indefatigable captain of the Teddy R, Wilson Cole. Each novel in the series has a similar style, pace, and character. In the fourth part of Resnick's Starship series, the lines between Wilson's crew and those living on the Frontier and the Republic become much more clearly drawn. Multiple times the Republic navy is seen stealing, pressing people into service, damaging towns while on shore leave, and committing atrocities. After a naval action makes the fight personal for Cole, and their next provocation involves destroying an entire planet because no one on it knew where Cole was (they weren't hiding him, they genuinely did not know) the Teddy R's next goal is realized-- to get the Navy out of the Frontier, where they should not be, and ensure that they stop inflicting their presence on the outskirts of the galaxy.

As the novel began Cole had one of the largest fleets (his mercenary group) in the Frontier and was a nigh undefinable presence. Now they are up against the Republic navy (fortunately already at war with other, more powerful factions) and its millions of ships and hundreds of bases. Just another chapter in the life of Wilson Cole. ( )

Wikipedia in English

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Book description

The date is 1968 of the Galactic Era, almost three thousand years from now. The Republic, dominated by the human race, is in the midst of an all-out war with the Teroni Federation.Almost a year has passed since the events of Starship: Mercenary. Captain Wilson Cole now commands a fleet of almost fifty ships, and he has become the single greatest military force on the Inner Frontier.With one exception. The Republic still comes and goes as it pleases, taking what it wants, conscripting men, and extorting taxes, even though the Frontier worlds receive nothing in exchange. And, of course, the government still wants Wilson Cole and the starship Theodore Roosevelt. He has no interest in confronting such an overwhelming force, and constantly steers clear of them.Then an incident occurs that changes everything, and Cole declares war on the Republic. Outnumbered and always outgunned, his fleet is no match for the Republic's millions of military vessels, even after he forges alliances with the warlords he previously hunted down.It's a hopeless cause...but that's just what Wilson Cole and the Teddy R. are best at.